Roof

A roof is the top surface of the building. The plural of 'roof' is 'rooves' or 'roofs'. The roof keeps out rain and snow and protects people from the sun. Some rooves are sloped, or pitched, so the rain and snow fall off easily. Some rooves are flat, but even flat roofs have a little bit of pitch so the water can flow away towards a drain.

Gable, hip, gambrel, and mansard roofs are types of pitched rooves. Those rooves are usually covered in shingles, but some are covered in metal, slate, or cement. It can be dangerous to walk on a pitched roof. Some pitched rooves have parts that stick out for windows. These are called dormers. The edges of pitched rooves are called 'eaves'. Often there are gutters and leaders at the eaves, which take away water from the roof.

Flat rooves are usually covered in rubber or types of plastic. You can walk on a flat roof. At the edge of a flat roof there is sometimes a parapet, which prevents people from falling off the roof. Rooves are often made of slates or other types of tiles.